a Rip-Roaring Current...to Tranquility

Sailing Against a Rip-Roaring Current… to Tranquility!

With five knots of current pushing against the boat, it was painful maneuvering through the narrow channel into Maratua atoll. The going was slow, really slow, we were barely making one knot. But we reckoned it would be worth it…

sailing against a rip-roaring current

In the first episode from this slice of heaven (the kind of remote place you seldom hear about and never see) we hire old scooters and take in the whole atoll. There is some tourism here, but it’s low-key. Needless to say, we loved it and we hope you enjoy it too.

At the end of the episode, Liz is presented with a quandary: A pint-sized child offered her a triton trumpet sea shell that his dad had brought back from the reef during a fishing trip. Should she buy it?

Rip-roaring current

Received wisdom says you mustn’t encourage local people to sell seashells because natural objects should remain in the marine environment to provide a home for critters and to break down into sand. Sounds reasonable until you meet a poor fisherman and his wife who will do anything to raise some money to buy food for their children. Giving money for nothing can hurt the pride of people here, many of whom don’t want to receive charity.

So what did we do? Liz took the shell and gave them the money with the idea that she would quietly drop the shell back into the ocean at some point. It’s still on board swaddled in bubble-wrap at the moment…

Peace and fair winds!

Liz and Jamie xx

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